Catalytic materials for pyrolysis of methane and production of hydrogen and solid carbon with substantially zero atmospheric carbon emissions

ABSTRACT

A catalyst for the pyrolysis of a hydrocarbon, such as methane or natural gas, includes a pile of waste-product configured to facilitate the decomposition of the hydrocarbon into hydrogen and carbon. The waste-product is one of bauxite residue, mill scale, or slag. The pile of waste product may be broken down into a powder or piece-meal form.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/093,399, filed Oct. 19, 2020,the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to the production of hydrogen and solid carbonmaterials via the pyrolysis of a hydrocarbon. In particular, thedisclosure relates to catalysts for the pyrolysis of methane or naturalgas, the catalysts including waste-products.

BACKGROUND

Decarbonization of the energy sector is of paramount importance forenvironmental concerns as related to global warming and climate change.Hydrogen, particularly pure H₂, is a well-known carbon-free energycarrier that is viewed by many as a promising alternative to fossilfuels and for de-carbonizing the energy sector, especially as it wouldbe used in the production of electricity and transportation. The adventof fuel cell technologies is promoting this alternative because fuelcells operate on hydrogen with high electrical efficiency and otherenvironmental benefits.

However, hydrogen is not found in its free molecular state on earth.Thus, it would have to be extracted from a compound that containshydrogen. The most mature technology involves extracting hydrogen fromwater (water splitting) via electrolysis. This process isenergy-intensive since the H—O bonds in water are very stable and largeamounts of energy are required to break them. To produce one cubic meterof hydrogen via water electrolysis, more than 4 kW-h of electricity isrequired. Exacerbating the issue is the source of electricity which isconsumed in the production of pure H₂ and the environmental implicationsof its production. Since in many parts of the world electricityproduction is associated with huge amounts of carbon emissions andemissions of other atmospheric pollutants, the environmental footprintof this technology is questionable.

An alternative approach is to extract hydrogen from a hydrocarbon suchas methane (CH₄) which is the main constituent (>90-95%) of natural gas.While this is a viable process and technologically mature, the processemits carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is the result of the carbon containedin the hydrocarbon. Although the quantity of CO₂ emitted may be small,it is not zero. However, since the global supply of natural gas is verylarge and the carbon emissions low, it is a technology that can be usedas a transient between the full-carbon and the zero-carbon approaches.

Another alternative process to produce “blue hydrogen,” i.e., hydrogenapproximately free of any carbon emissions, is the decomposition orpyrolysis of methane or natural gas into gaseous hydrogen and solidcarbon. Such a process produces the desired pure hydrogen, which may beused directly in fuel cells for electricity production, with limited tono CO₂ emissions as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,058 to Muradov. Thesolid carbon by-product can either be used in industrial processes or itcan be disposed of easily underground. If biogas (or bio-methane) isused instead of natural gas, then the process is of “negative” carbonemission since the carbon contained in bio-methane is carbon absorbedfrom the atmosphere. The energy “penalty” of this process, defined asthe energy losses from methane decomposition to produce hydrogen andusing the hydrogen in fuel cells to produce electricity, is less than15% as compared to electricity production with natural gas in a turbine.If the produced carbon is utilized in an industrial process, then thepenalty is less or even “negative”.

The pyrolysis of methane requires very high temperatures, generallygreater than 1200° C. A suitable catalyst can be used to reduce therequired activation temperature of methane necessary for pyrolysis. Inthe presence of suitable catalysts, methane decomposition can occur at800-900° C. The most promising catalysts contain nickel (Ni), iron (Fe),and cobalt (Co), supported on metal oxide materials such as aluminumoxide (Al₂O₃), magnesium oxide (MgO), and others. However, thedecomposition of methane on such catalysts is not practical andeconomically feasible since the catalyst accumulates carbon on itssurface and deactivates after short periods of use. The removal of theaccumulated carbon and re-use of the catalyst is complicated andexpensive. Thus, the solid material including the catalyst and theaccumulated carbon is often disposed of together. Since the cost of thecatalyst is considerable, this is detrimental to the economicfeasibility of the process. Thus, catalysts that are practical,economically feasible, and effective at reducing the temperaturerequirements for the pyrolysis of methane are desired.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a catalyst for the pyrolysis ofmethane including a pile of waste-product. The waste-product isconfigured to facilitate the decomposition of a hydrocarbon intohydrogen and carbon. The waste-product is one of refined bauxiteresidue, mill scale, or slag.

In an aspect, the catalyst may include a substructure layered with thewaste product.

In aspects, the substructure may be made at least in part of thewaste-product.

In other aspects, the waste-product may be enhanced by nickel, cobalt,or iron additives.

In further aspects, the substructure may be made at least in part ofnickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum oxide, or magnesium oxide.

In an aspect, the pile of waste product is broken down into a powder orpiece-meal form.

In aspects, the waste-product may be slag comprising at least one ofsteel slag, copper slag, or nickel slag.

Another aspect of this disclosure provides a method for manufacturinghydrogen. The method includes: passing a hydrocarbon over awaste-product catalyst; heating the hydrocarbon and waste-productcatalyst; thermocatalytically decomposing the hydrocarbon into hydrogenand solid carbon; and collecting the hydrogen in a container.

In aspects, the passing of a hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalystmay include passing natural gas or methane over a waste-productcatalyst.

In additional aspects, the method may further include collecting solidcarbon deposited on the waste-product catalyst.

In other aspects, the passing of a hydrocarbon over a waste-productcatalyst may include passing the hydrocarbon over a catalytic pile ofwaste-product.

In disclosed aspects, the passing of a hydrocarbon over a waste-productcatalyst may include passing the hydrocarbon over a waste-productcatalyst that may include at least one of bauxite residue, slag, or millscale.

In yet other alternatives, the passing of a hydrocarbon over awaste-product catalyst includes passing the hydrocarbon over awaste-product catalyst that may include a substructure. A layer ofwaste-product material may be an outer layer on the substructure.

In further aspects, the waste product catalyst may be contained in areactor.

In even further aspects, the reactor is a fixed bed, fluidized bed,moving bed, trickle bed, rotating bed, or slurry reactor.

In disclosed aspects, the method may include processing thewaste-product catalyst into a powder or piece-meal form.

In aspects, the method may include heating the hydrocarbon andwaste-product catalyst from about 750° C. to about 950° C.

In aspects, the method may include heating the hydrocarbon andwaste-product catalyst from about 500° C. to about 1300° C.

These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure willbecome apparent from the following description and the associateddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the features and advantages of the presentdisclosure will be obtained by reference to the following detaileddescription that sets forth illustrative aspects and the accompanyingdrawings of which:

FIG. 1 is an image of a pile of bauxite-residue catalytic material;

FIG. 2 is an image of a pile of mill scale catalytic material;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example production rate of hydrogen whenbauxite residue is used as the catalytic material;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example production rate of hydrogen when millscale is used as the catalytic material;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a method for producing hydrogen, in accordancewith another aspect of this disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a waste-product catalyst in the shape of aflat bar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although the present disclosure will be described in terms of specificembodiments, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this artthat various modifications, rearrangements, and substitutions may bemade without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

The description herein presents numerous specific details included toprovide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will beapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present disclosurecan be practiced without some or all of these specific details. On theother hand, well-known process steps, procedures, and structures are notdescribed in detail as to not unnecessarily obscure the presentdisclosure.

Production of pure hydrogen and solid carbon materials by the process ofpyrolysis, or thermocatalytic decomposition, of methane is integraltowards the development of a hydrogen economy. Improving the source andcharacteristics of catalysts used in the reaction is an important aspectof improving the feasibility of hydrogen production from natural gas ormethane, the latter a principal component of natural gas. Enhancementsin catalytic characteristics are generally made with respect to thereaction rate, minimizing operating temperatures, and the ability toretain thermochemical stability amid huge nanocarbon deposition.Accordingly, various metal and carbon-based catalysts were introduced.Metal-based catalysts are superior to carbon catalysts in terms of theirhydrogen production percentage and reaction rate.

Transition metals, particularly Ni-, Fe-, and Co-based catalysts areoften used to improve the catalytic reaction during pyrolysis. Ni-basedcatalysts are distinguished from the metal-based catalysts because oftheir relatively low-cost, low-toxicity, superior activity, stability,and environmentally friendly characteristics. Metal-based catalysts havea longer catalytic lifespan by upholding a nanocarbon formationmechanism which retains the active site of the metal on the top of thecatalyst towards a reaction medium. The growth mechanism of nanocarbonor solid carbon products from the pyrolysis process involves thediffusion of deposited carbon through the active metal site. Thediffused nanocarbons, then, precipitate on the other side of the metalparticle to form longer carbon filaments.

The catalytic activity and stability of a catalyst used in the processand the characteristics of as produced nanocarbon are very relevant inthermocatalytic decomposition (TCD) since both play a vital role indetermining the overall yield and structure of the solid carbonby-product and hydrogen produced. Solid carbon accumulates on thecatalyst until the solid carbon saturates the catalyst therebydeactivating the catalyst. When the deactivation is nearly complete, thecatalyst along with the solid carbon which it contains can be disposedof in a suitable manner or it can be used in other processes.

The solid carbon byproduct of the pyrolysis or TCD of methane isgenerally in the form of nanocarbons, graphitic carbons, or carbonnanotubes. This provides additional economic and, in some applications,environmental benefits (since it reduces the need to dispose ofotherwise useless solid carbon) to producing hydrogen via pyrolysis orTCD. For example, the graphitic carbon by-products may be used for avariety of industrial and consumer applications, such as the productionof pencil tips, high temperature crucibles, dry cells, electrodes, or asa lubricant, among many other applications known to those of ordinaryskill in the art. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylinders of one or morelayers, known as single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walledcarbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) of graphene (lattice) of diameters between 0.8to 2 nm for SWCNTs and 5 to 20 nm for MWCNTs. CNTs are structuralmaterials of desirable properties and are used in applicationsincluding, but not limited to, energy storage, device modeling,automotive parts, boat hulls, sporting goods, water filters, thin-filmelectronics, coatings, actuators, and electromagnetic shields.

Providing low cost, environmentally friendly, and abundant catalyticmaterials mitigates the need for improving the characteristics ofexpensive catalytic materials or developing methods for re-using thecatalysts.

The present disclosure describes a family of “waste-product” catalysts,or waste-products that form the catalytic material, which can promotethe thermocatalytic decomposition (pyrolysis) of methane or natural gasinto hydrogen and solid carbon and which may be used for low, aboutzero, or ‘negative’ carbon production of pure hydrogen. The catalystsare carbon neutral, allow for carbon consumption, and areenvironmentally friendly since they are composed of waste materials,which would have to be disposed of anyway. The waste-product catalystsare produced from the waste materials and allow for the pyrolysis orthermocatalytic decomposition (TCD) of methane at lower temperaturesthan when the catalysts are not used. Additionally, due to the abundanceof these waste materials, replacing spent “waste-product” catalyst iseconomical and feasible since the material would otherwise be disposedof, for example, in a landfill. This thus mitigates the issue of solidcarbon deposits building up on and deactivating the often more expensivecatalytic material. Waste product catalysts may include slag, millscale, bauxite residue or similar waste products that include sufficientlevels of iron for TCD.

The waste-product catalysts serve to crack open the methane or naturalgas. When these materials are used as waste-product catalysts in the TCDof methane, the following reaction takes place:

CH₄→2H₂+C ΔHo≈75 kJ/mol  (Equation 1)

With reference to FIG. 1, a waste-product catalyst is produced frombauxite residue (bauxite tailings), commonly referred to as “red mud.”The red mud is dried and used in a “powdered” or “piece-meal” form as acatalyst. Red mud is primarily composed of iron oxides. Bauxite residueis a by-product of a process of extracting aluminum from bauxite ore,specifically, via a process known by those of ordinary skill in the artof aluminum extraction as the Bayer process.

In the Bayer process, strip-mined bauxite ore is treated with sodiumhydroxide, otherwise known as hot caustic soda, which selectivelydissolves aluminum from an array of other mineralized metals. The endproducts are alumina (Al₂O₃), which is used to produce aluminum metals,and bauxite residue. For every ton of alumina produced approximately1-1.5 tons of red mud is produced. Generally, the red mud produced isstored in ponds, has few other uses, and is not environmentallyfriendly. Given that the annual production of alumina, as of 2018, wasapproximately 126 million tons, resulting in the generation of 160million tons of red mud, an appropriate and environmentally friendly useof red mud is desired.

Creating a waste-product catalyst out of red mud not only provides forefficient and effective pyrolysis to be performed but also re-purposesthe waste-product from the Bayer process, reducing the environmentalimpact of both the pyrolysis process and the Bayer process. Further, theabundance of red mud makes it an attractive economical material for acatalyst.

Bauxite residue may be dried in various ways, such as kiln-dried orsun-dried, and subsequently processed to form a “powder” or “piece-meal”(small chunks and pieces) catalytic pile. The dried red mud may beplaced into and contained by a chemical reactor for pyrolysis. Thereactor may be a fixed bed, fluidized bed, moving bed, trickle bed,rotating bed, or slurry reactor. Any suitable reactor known by those ofordinary skill in the art of chemical reactors or pyrolysis may be used.Placing the dried red mud catalytic pile directly into the chemicalreactors, in addition to the carbon savings and hydrogen production,reduces the cost of producing catalytic materials, as no furtherprocessing of the catalyst is required.

In aspects, a waste-product catalyst may include a catalyticsubstructure coated with a layer of refined or dried red mud. Inaspects, the substructure may be made from red mud and dried red mud maythen be layered onto the catalytic substructure. The dried red mud maybe configured to form the whole of the catalytic structure. In aspects,Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), or Iron (Fe) metals or compounds may be addedto the red mud to enhance catalytic performance of the red mud.

The bauxite residue may contain 30-60 wt % of iron(III) oxide (Fe₂O₃),10-20 wt % of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), 3-50 wt % of silicon dioxide(SiO₂), 2-10 wt % of sodium oxide (Na₂O), 2-8 wt % of calcium oxide(CaO), and about 0-25 wt % of titanium dioxide (TiO₂). Additionally,trace amounts of MgO are often found in red mud. Al₂O₃, SiO₂, MgO, andTiO₂ are known in the art to improve catalytic performance as discussedin the journal Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews March 2017 articletitled: “A review on methane transformation to hydrogen and nanocarbon:Relevance of catalyst characteristics and experimental parameters onyield,” by Ashik et. al. In particular, SiO₂ as a catalyst additive isan effective material for enhancing the catalytic reaction in pyrolysis.Thus, dried bauxite residue in a “powder” or “piece-meal” pile is adesirable catalytic material.

The red mud may be refined to include desirable quantities of itsrespective components. The red mud may be layered on a substructureincluding Co, Ni, Fe, or metal oxides, such as Al₂O₃ or MgO. Thecatalytic substructure may be of any shape, size, or geometry as knownby those of ordinary skill in the art. The catalytic substructure may bea cylinder, cube, bar, honeycomb, or any other desirable shape.

In another aspect of this disclosure, a waste-product catalyst includessolid particles or flakes originating as waste material from theproduction and processing of steel and is composed of steel without anyadmixtures. In aspects, the solid particles or flakes may be mill scaleproduced as a by-product from steel rolling processes. Mill scale is theflaky surface or thin iron oxide layer of hot rolled steel and iscomprised of mixed iron oxides such as iron(II) oxide (FeO), iron(III)oxide (Fe₂O₃), and (II oxide (FCS-4, magnetite). In aspects, the millscale waste material lay be composed of about 40% to about 100% Fe₂O₃ orabout more than 90% Fe₂O₃. The mill scale is collected into catalyticpiles and placed in a suitable reactor, such as a fixed bed, fluidizedbed, moving bed, trickle bed, rotating bed, or slurry reactor. Anysuitable reactor known by those of ordinary skill in the art of chemicalreactors or pyrolysis may be used.

In another aspect of this disclosure, slag, a waste-material that is aby-product left over after a metal has been separated from its raw oremay be used as all, or a portion of, the waste-product catalyst. Theslag is collected into catalytic piles to form the waste-productcatalyst. The slag may be broken down into “powder” or “piece-meal” formand collected into catalytic piles. The catalytic piles of slag areplaced in a suitable reactor as described above regarding mill scale andred mud.

Slag is generally composed of a mixture of metal oxides and silicondioxide (SiO2), but may also include metal sulfides, magnesium oxide(MgO), and other elemental metals. Typical compositions for varioustypes of slag are shown in Table 1:

TABLE 1 Electric arc furnace slag Type Blast furnace Converter OxidizingReducing Component slag slag slag slag CaO 41.7 45.8 22.8 55.1 SiO₂ 33.811.0 12.1 18.8 T-Fe 0.4 17.4 29.5 0.3 MgO 7.4 6.5 4.8 7.3 Al₂O₃ 13.4 1.96.8 16.5 S 0.8 0.06 0.2 0.4 P₂O₅ <0.1 1.7 0.3 0.1 MnO 0.3 5.3 7.9 1.0

The slag may be steel slags produced, for example, in the steel industryduring the purification of crude iron (also called pig iron). Thepurification of crude iron is often done in a basic oxygen furnace (BOF)or electric arc furnace (EAF) in order to oxidize the various residualgangues which are separated by floating on the iron melt. Table 2 showsexemplary compositions by percent weight (wt %) of steel slag producedusing a BOF or a EAF.

TABLE 2 EAF wt % Components BOS wt % (Carbon Steel) FeO 10-35 15-30 CaO30-55 35-60 SiO₂  8-20  9-20 Al₂O₃ 1-6 2-9 MgO  5-15  5-15 MnO 2-8 3-8P₂O₅ 0.2-2  0.01-0.25 S 0.05-0.15 0.08-0.2  Cr 0.1-0.5 0.1-1 

In aspects, the slag may be Nickel slag (Ni slag). Ni slag is producedas waste material in the production of nickel metals. Nickel ore, whichmay be pentlandite mixed with Fe and S as (Ni,Fe)₉S₈ is smelted toproduce a nickel matte. The nickel matte includes Nickel and ironsulfide. The nickel matte is then processed in an electric furnace wherethe iron in the nickel matte is oxidized and the iron may be combinedwith silica to produce a slag containing about 30%, or less, to about 40wt %, or more, of FeO. A converter furnace may further purify the Nickelmatte from iron oxides still in the nickel matte to produce a slagcontaining about 60%, or less, to about 66%, or more, of FeO. Table 3shows exemplary compositions of Ni Slags.

TABLE 3 Electric converter Components furnace wt % furnace wt % FeO32-40 60-66 Fe₂O₃ 2-7 13-18 CaO 3-6 7-9 SiO₂ 32-42 5-8 Al₂O₃  7-120.5-1.5 Cr₂O₃ 2-3 1-5 MgO 3-6 5-8

In other aspects, the slag may be Copper Slag (Cu Slag) that is producedas a waste material in the smelting process of a copper ore that exists,for example, as copper iron sulfate (e.g., CuFeS₂ or Cu₅FeS₄), thatproduces a copper matte. The copper matte is then processed to removethe iron, sulfur, and gangue material from the copper matte. Silica maybe added to the smelt as the silica interacts with iron oxides of thecopper matte to form a floating layer that can be separated from thesmelt. The iron oxides mixed with silica form the Copper slag. Table 4shows exemplary compositions of Cu Slags.

TABLE 4 Components wt % F₂O₃ 55-70 Al₂O₃ 0.5-5  SiO₂ 25-35 CaO 0.15-6  

In aspects, slag or mill scale may be layered onto a catalyticsubstructure or form the entirety of the catalytic substructure. Inaspects, a catalytic substructure may include multiple layers of slagand/or mill scale.

In another aspect of this disclosure, raw iron ore, while not a wasteproduct, is broken into “powder” or “piece-meal” form and collected intocatalytic piles for use in a chemical reactor for pyrolysis. Iron ore isgenerally mined for the extraction of its iron used to make steel and istypically not a waste product, but rather the raw material processedinto a future product. Iron ore is a cheaper material compared to manystandard catalysts in its unprocessed state. Slag and mill scale are theremains or waste product of the iron ore after it has been processed.

Slag, mill scale, and red mud provide attractive materials for creatingwaste-product catalysts for pyrolysis since they are materials thatalready require disposal and have desirable properties for pyrolysis.Table 5 below provides a comparison of the carbon accumulation ratios ofred mud and mill scale versus typical catalytic materials. The higherthe ratio of grams (g) of carbon per grams (g) of catalyst, the morehydrogen is produced since at the higher ratios more of the carbon isseparated from the hydrocarbon (e.g., methane) and accumulated on thecatalyst. The amount of carbon accumulated over the waste productcatalysts, (red mud and mill scale), compares favorably to thosecatalysts that are conventionally used. Notably, the carbon accumulationratio of mill scale exceeds many other catalysts.

TABLE 5 Catalyst Carbon accumulation (Prior Art = “PA”) Pyrolysisconditions (g carbon/g catalyst) Iron Oxide (PA) 100% CH4 @800° C. 0.5Iron/Aluminum (PA) 30% CH4 @ 700° C. 0.8 Iron/Aluminum (PA) 100% CH4@750° C. 1.9 Iron/Ceria (PA) 30% CH4 @750° C. 4.1 Iron/Lanthana (PA) 100%CH4 @800° C. 8.9 Iron/Ceria (PA) 100% CH4 @800° C. 9.6 Red mud 100%CH4@900° C. 1.7 Mill scale 100% CH4@900° C. 9.5

With reference to FIG. 3, a graph of the rate of production of hydrogenwhen using a dried red mud catalytic pile for the thermocatalyticdecomposition of methane (pyrolysis) over time in an exemplaryexperiment is illustrated. Approximately pure methane was decomposed at900° C. The dried red mud used in the example experiment was 300milligrams (mg) by weight containing approximately 100 mg of Fe.Approximately 500 mg of carbon was deposited on the red mud after 220minutes. About 1,850 cubic centimeters (cc) of hydrogen (H₂) wasproduced after 220 minutes, which corresponds to about 0.55 kilograms(kg) of H₂ per 1 kg of red mud. In the example experiment, theproduction rate of hydrogen via pyrolysis using the red mud catalyticpile ranged from about 15 cc per minute (cc/min) to about 5 cc/min.

With reference to FIG. 4, a graph of the rate of production of hydrogenwhen using mill scale catalytic pile for pyrolysis over time in anexemplary experiment is illustrated. Approximately pure methane wasdecomposed at 900° C. The mill scale catalytic pile used in the examplecontained was 300 mg by weight. Approximately 2,850 mg of carbon wasdeposited on the iron slag catalytic pile after 2,000 minutes. About10,600 cc of H₂ was produced, which corresponds to about 3.15 kg of H₂per 1 kg of an iron slag catalytic pile. In the first 120 minutes, theproduction rate of hydrogen via pyrolysis using the mill scale catalyticpile increased to a peak of about 25 cc/min, decreasing to about 3cc/min after 2,000 minutes.

In another aspect of this disclosure, a method 500 for the production ofhydrogen from a hydrocarbon, such as methane or natural gas, includes astep 510 of passing a hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst of thisdisclosure. At step 520, the method includes heating a hydrocarbon inthe presence of a waste-product catalyst of the present disclosure to adesirable temperature. In aspects, the hydrocarbon may be heated from500° C. to about 1300° C. In aspects, the hydrocarbon and waste-productcatalyst are heated from about 750° C. to about 950° C. In another step530, the hydrocarbon (e.g., methane) is decomposed into pure hydrogenand solid carbon. The method includes producing solid carbon on thesurface of the waste-product catalyst. In aspects, only solid carbon,and not gaseous carbon, is produced as a by-product. In another step540, the method includes collecting the hydrogen in a container. Themethod may include using the produced hydrogen to heat the catalyst. Inanother step 550, the method includes collecting the solid carbon fromthe waste-product catalyst. In aspects, the waste-product catalyst is acatalytic pile including at least one of red mud, mill scale, or slag.In aspects, the solid carbon and waste-product catalyst is disposed ofin the ground to prevent carbon from escaping into the atmosphere.

With reference to FIG. 6, an illustrative waste-product catalyst 600includes a substructure 610 and a waste-product outer layer 620. Thesubstructure 610 may be made from any suitable material, such as Ni, Co,or Fe, metal oxides such as MgO or Al₂O₃, or non-metals such asceramics. The waste-product layer 620 may include one or morewaste-products such as bauxite residue, slag, or mill scale. In aspects,the waste-product layer 620 may include multiple sublayers ofwaste-products. Additives may be mixed with the waste-products toenhance the ability of the waste-products to facilitate pyrolysis andcollect solid carbon build-up. While FIG. 6 shows a waste-productcatalyst in the shape of a bar any suitable shape or structure may beused. In aspects, the substructure 610 is configured to hold awaste-product catalytic pile. In aspects, the waste-product layer 620 isa waste-product catalytic pile disposed on an upper surface of thesubstructure 610.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure may include some, all, or noneof the above advantages and/or one or more other advantages readilyapparent to those skilled in the art from the drawings, descriptions,and claims included herein. Moreover, while specific advantages havebeen enumerated above, the various aspects of the present disclosure mayinclude all, some, or none of the enumerated advantages and/or otheradvantages not specifically enumerated above.

The phrases “in an aspect,” “in aspects,” “in various aspects,” “in someaspects,” or “in other aspects” may each refer to one or more of thesame or different aspects in accordance with the present disclosure. Aphrase in the form “A or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B).” A phrase inthe form “at least one of A, B, or C” means “(A); (B); (C); (A and B);(A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).”

It should be understood the foregoing description is only illustrativeof the present disclosure. Various alternatives and modifications can bedevised by those skilled in the art without departing from thedisclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to embraceall such alternatives, modifications, and variances. The aspectsdescribed with reference to the attached drawing figures are presentedonly to demonstrate certain examples of the disclosure. Other elements,steps, methods, and techniques that are insubstantially different fromthose described above and/or in the appended claims are also intended tobe within the scope of the disclosure.

1. A catalyst for the pyrolysis of a hydrocarbon, comprising: a pile of waste-product configured to facilitate decomposition of the hydrocarbon into hydrogen and carbon; and wherein the waste-product is one of bauxite residue, mill scale, or slag.
 2. The catalyst of claim 1, further including a substructure layered with the waste-product.
 3. The catalyst of claim 2, wherein the substructure is made at least in part of the waste-product.
 4. The catalyst of claim 2, wherein the waste-product is enhanced by nickel, cobalt, or iron additives.
 5. The catalyst of claim 2, wherein the substructure is made at least in part of nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum oxide, or magnesium oxide.
 6. The catalyst of claim 1, wherein the pile of waste product is broken down into a powder or piece-meal form.
 7. The catalyst of claim 1, wherein the waste-product is slag comprising at least one of steel slag, copper slag, or nickel slag.
 8. A method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon, comprising: passing a hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst; heating the hydrocarbon and waste-product catalyst; thermocatalytically decomposing the hydrocarbon into hydrogen and solid carbon; and collecting the hydrogen in a container.
 9. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, wherein passing a hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst includes passing natural gas or methane over a waste-product catalyst.
 10. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, further comprising collecting solid carbon deposited on the waste-product catalyst.
 11. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, wherein passing a hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst includes passing the hydrocarbon over a catalytic pile of waste-product.
 12. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, wherein passing a hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst includes passing the hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst that includes at least one of bauxite residue, slag, or mill scale.
 13. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 11, wherein passing a hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst includes passing the hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst that includes: a substructure; and a layer of waste-product material as an outer layer on the substructure.
 14. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, wherein the waste product catalyst is contained in a reactor.
 15. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 13, wherein the reactor is a fixed bed, fluidized bed, moving bed, trickle bed, rotating bed, or slurry reactor.
 16. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, further including a step of processing the waste product catalyst into a powder or piece-meal form.
 17. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, wherein the hydrocarbon and waste product catalyst are heated from about 750° C. to about 950° C.
 18. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, wherein the hydrocarbon and waste product catalyst are heated from about 500° C. to about 1300° C.
 19. The method for producing hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 8, wherein passing a hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst includes passing the hydrocarbon over a waste-product catalyst that includes at least one of steel slag, copper slag, or nickel slag.
 20. The method for producing a hydrogen gas and solid carbon of claim 11, wherein the slag is at least one of steel slag, copper slag, or nickel slag. 